*To Ginny as promised.*

***

"Arisa," a voice called from upstairs as she idly flipped through the pages of her school book, trying to concentrate on their assignment, "phone for you."

Somewhat relieved at the welcome interruption, she reached for the phone next to her on her desk. Covering the receiver, she called out to her father. "I got it."

Listening into the telephone, she waited until she heard the click on the other end.

"Hello?"

Arisa could hear the soft breathing of the person on the other end and frowned in irritation at the continued silence. About to rant about creepy little perverts, the distinctive voice on the other end immediately silenced her.

"Uotani."

"Kai," she dully greeted, staring at the wall in front of her with a heavy look of resignation.

***

Ignoring the sullen boy next to him, Yuki wordlessly walked down the paved sidewalk towards the market with Tohru's grocery list in hand. More then likely she was now patching up the Kyo shaped hole in their screen door. His face softened as his thoughts focused on Tohru.

They had left Tohru in a state of panic after their physical excursion left the kitchen in disarray, and incidentally, their dinner.

He winced, remembering how Kyo's misdirected kick made the pot of stew airborne. The mixture of surprise and horror on Shigure's face before it landed on his head was almost worth this time he had to spend in Kyo's company.

The grating sounds of an empty soda can bouncing against the concrete street drew him out of his reflections.

Almost. Sparing a glance at Kyo, he wondered if the cat was deliberately kicking the can to annoy him. There was something about Kyo's belligerent manner that could really raise Yuki's ire.

As if he was reading Yuki's thoughts, Kyo began to grumble about how he was forced to keep the company of dirty mice and so on.

Yuki sighed. "We have to go to the market because of your extreme idiocy." The last word was shot out deliberately to offend and Yuki waited for some inane reply from his loud-mouthed companion. There was nothing. Frowning, he turned to look at Kyo.

Kyo had stopped walking, his eyes narrowed in concentration to stare beyond Yuki's right shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Yuki said. Following Kyo's line of sight, his eyes landed on the distant figures of two girls in what seemed like a heated discussion. "What is it?" He knew Kyo's animal allowed him to see farther then the human eye, and there was nothing out of the ordinary that Yuki could see to explain Kyo's uncharacteristic behavior.

"It's Uotani," Kyo said. He continued to stare at the two girls.

"And?" Yuki prompted in exasperation, reminded once more of how annoying Kyo could be when he put his mind to it.

"She's with a gang member," he stated.

Immediately Yuki's brain perked, and once again he looked at the figures, this time with a much more critical eye. Before he could suggest they make their way over, Kyo was furiously striding towards the two.

Yuki sighed once more before following Kyo.

"We shouldn't be eavesdropping on Uotani-san," Yuki whispered to Kyo, stopping behind him at their safe distance from the arguing pair.

"Are you crazy?" Kyo hissed. "She's consorting with gang members."

"It's not our business," Yuki said.

"Shut up," Kyo answered. "I'm trying to hear what they're saying."

Before Yuki could reply, he heard the heated words of the redhead drifting to them through the wind.

"Don't get involved in this Uotani." Her voice was low and the veiled threat in her posture raised the hairs on the back of Yuki's neck. "You left so this has nothing to do with you."

"What makes you think I'm involved?" Yuki had never seen Uotani like this. Her voice was icy and hard, blue eyes glinting darkly at the girl in front of her.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" the redhead hissed in reply.

The sneer on Uotani's face answered her question and the redhead's jaw tightened in anger. There was a rage in her eyes that impelled Yuki to intervene before their conversation got physical, but the lazy drawl beside him beat him to action.

"Oi, Yankee, what are you doing here?"

Both girls instantly broke their staring contest to look at Kyo in surprise. Following his lead, Yuki stepped out in full view and walked towards Uotani.

"Who's this?"

"An old friend," the redhead answered tightly. Her eyes were calculating as they measured up first Kyo, who took a place slightly behind Uotani, then Yuki.

"Is that so," Kyo replied in a voice that did not hide his obvious disbelief at her curt statement. "I didn't know Uotani here had friends."

"Go away," Uotani said. She looked at them both, her eyes hard and telling them to get lost.

Kyo went on as though he hadn't heard her and began to scrutinize the redhead. "Tohru's making dinner for all us tonight," he casually stated to Uotani beside him. "You did remember, right?"

"Yes." Uotani answered after several long seconds, when it became apparent Kyo was not going to be leaving any time soon. "I'll be there."

"We're going to the market to get dinner, Uotani-san." Yuki intervened, trying to diffuse the hostile tension swarming around the three.

"Uotani, I'll see you around." The redhead cut in. Looking at Yuki and Kyo in disdain, she glanced at Uotani with a meaningful expression on her face before she departed. Her parting words were obvious that their private conversation would be continued elsewhere.

The air was still for a minute, all eyes trained on the redhead's figure until she became a tiny moving dot in the horizon.

"What the hell are you doing, you stupid Yankee?"

Yuki sighed. "Uotani-san," he said before Kyo could continue, "would you like to accompany us back home? I'm sure Honda-san would be glad to see you early."

Her voice was distracted, eyes slightly unfocused on a figure no one could see. "I have some things I need to take care of." About to leave, she paused, her eyes flittering back to Yuki and Kyo. "You didn't see this."

"What do you mean we didn't see this?" Kyo started to rant. "Do I look blind?"

"If you are having problems Uotani-san, we would like to help," Yuki said helpfully.

"The only way you can help is by forgetting what you saw," she said. Her eyes were serious as she looked at the two. "I don't want Tohru-chan and Hanajima worrying over nothing."

"Is it really nothing?" Yuki asked carefully, studying Uotani's face.

She looked at him. "It's nothing."

Yuki nodded then turned to face Kyo. "We're running late. We have to get Honda-san the ingredients for tonight's dinner so she can make it in time." Turning back to Uotani, he smiled. "We'll see you later today, Uotani-san."

Before Kyo could protest, Yuki gripped his arm and dragged him away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kyo said, trying to pry his arm out of Yuki's hand.

"Let it go. This is Uotani-san's business. We have no right to interfere."

"Fine," Kyo grumbled. "Just stop touching me."

Yuki was more then willing to grant that request. Discreetly he watched Kyo in his peripheral vision as they continued on their way. There was a look of thoughtfulness mixed with defiance in his face that made Yuki wonder if Kyo was really going to let this go.

***